Chennai Customs Website Hacked!

Chennai Customs Website Hacked! – A senior Custom officer said the site provided general information to the public. “Some years ago the Delhi Airport Customs’ site was hacked and defaced,” he added. The official said that an internal probe was currently on.

The official portal of Chennai Customs Commissionerate (www.chennaicustoms.gov.in) has been hacked by an anonymous person/Group from Pakistan. Following this, the website is now unable to access.

According to information available and published on a Pakistan-based portal, a Pakistani hacker/Group named Faisal 1337 hacked and defaced the official website of Chennai Customs and displayed a warning “Hacked Pak Cyber Attackers”. Besides, the hacker also put the slogan “Pakistan Zindabad” on the main page of the site, which is viewed by hundreds of people linked to exim trade from the region everyday.

It may be noted that in the month July, the same hacker hacked and defaced the official website of National Institute of Technology (NIT), Raipur, that was launched just a day before by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to launch the technological culture in India by the project of Digital India.

A senior Custom officer said the site provided general information to the public. “Some years ago the Delhi Airport Customs’ site was hacked and defaced,” he added. The official said that an internal probe was currently on. “Senior officers will decide whether we have to approach the police for help”.

A senior officer with the Chennai City Police said that neither they nor the State police received any complaint from Customs. A police source said that most investigations pertaining to hacking end up in Karachi.

“So many cases are left just like that. The case is pursued further with the help of the Interpol as we are sure the neighbouring country will not cooperate,” said the source. Meanwhile, cyber crime experts said hacking was like “infiltrating into a house through a weak link in the compound wall. “Hacking is usually done through a mail. No steps have been taken by the government to ensure security for its websites. Experts have not been used so far,” R. Thilagaraj, former director, centre for cyber forensic and information security, University Of Madras.